


Returning To T'Pol

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-03
Updated: 2006-03-03
Packaged: 2018-08-15 22:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8074807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: T'Pol tells Trip about the Bond, and they soon discover get another little surprise. (02/25/2005)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: Spoilers: 4.15 "Affliction," 4.20 "Demons," 4.21 "Terra Prime."  
  
Occurs way after 4.15 "Affliction." There'll be yet another sequel. Watch for it.  


* * *

She found herself once again in the white room with him. "Why do you  
continue to intrude on my thoughts?" she asked.

"I'm not trying ta intrude on yer thoughts. I closed my eyes and I  
was here," he said motioning to the white room.

"This cannot be possible," she mumbled.

He frowned. "What can't be possible?" he asked. She turned  
away. "T'Pol," Trip whispered taking her hands in his. "What th' hell  
is goin' on?"

"We are bonded," she replied quietly.

"Bonded? What do you mean bonded?" he asked, his grip on her hands  
tightening slightly.

"We are one. I can hear your thoughts and you can hear mine. On rare  
occasion, bondmates have had a strong enough connection to share  
images as well," she replied.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

"I believe it formed the night we were...intimate...and I also believe  
that it has been increasing in strength since that time," she  
answered.

He frowned. "I don't understand. Why didn't you ever tell me?" he  
asked.

"I was not aware of it until you left Enterprise," she said softly.

"T'Pol, look at me," he said. When she looked into his eyes, he laid  
a hand gently on her cheek. "I left Enterprise because...because I  
couldn' stop thinkin' about ya." He chuckled. "Hell, I still can'  
stop thinkin' about ya." He paused for a moment, hugging her tightly  
to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She felt her temples throb dully and felt her knees go weak. She  
gasped quietly in surprise as a wave of weakness passed through her.

"T'Pol! T'Pol!" she heard him shouting before everything went black.

On Columbia...

He opened his eyes and felt the panic rising in the pit of his stomach. "Rivers, you're in charge!" he shouted.

"Sir?" Rivers questioned, a confused look on his face. But Trip ran out the doors not replying to the younger man's query.

He ran through the corridors to his quarters not even halting to catch his breath. "Sorry," he shouted over his shoulder to a female Ensign he had nearly shoved to the ground. He entered his quarters and his fingers shook as he keyed the commands to contact Enterprise.

'Come on, Hoshi,' he thought, desperation flooding through him.

On Enterprise...

Hoshi frowned slightly when the comm. beeped, alerting her that someone was attempting to contact them. The odd thing was that it was a private channel and whoever had sent the message wasn't bothering to encrypt the message. Her frown turned up into a slight smile when she recognized his access codes.

"Sir, there's an incoming message from Commander Tucker," she said, the jauntiness obvious in her voice.

Archer smiled. "Put him through, Ensign," he replied.

She nodded and did as she was told. "It's good to hear from you, Trip. I...," he began, but Trip cut him off.

"Cap'n, T'Pol's in trouble. You need ta get someone ta her quarters NOW!" Trip shouted, the panic in his voice evident.

Archer frowned. "Trip..." he began sternly.

"There isn't time! She needs Phlox!" Trip replied.

Archer nodded and contacted Sickbay. "She's already here, Captain. It is quite lucky for her that Crewman Cutler stopped by her quarters with that handful of reports. Otherwise, I'm sure no one would have known anything was wrong." Phlox reported.

Archer nodded. "I'm on my way. Archer out," he said. He then went back to the open comm. link. "Did you hear all that, Trip?"

"Yes, sir. I'll speak with Captain Hernandez and see if I can' get a day or so of leave to come see her. See ya soon. Tucker out," Trip said closing the comm. link.

Archer frowned. He knew that Trip was needed aboard the Columbia, as did Trip. His lips turned up slightly into a semi-smile. 'So the rumors are true, then,' he thought. He chuckled to himself. 'Except they're not really rumors now, are they?' he pulled himself from his musings, his concern for T'Pol overriding his foolish dawdling.

"Lieutenant Reed, you have the bridge," Archer said.

"With all due respect, sir, I want to see if the Commander is alright," Malcolm replied.

Just then, the replacement Tactical, Communications, and Helm Officers stepped onto the bridge. Archer smiled at the officers. "Take your stations," he said. He then turned to Malcolm, Hoshi, and Travis. "Ensigns...Lieutenant...you may come with me if you wish. Lieutenant Devone, you have the bridge."

"Aye, sir!" the Lieutenant said, taking his place in the Captain's chair. As the younger officer took the bridge, the other four entered the lift, headed for Sickbay.

On Columbia...

The chime rang and Captain Hernandez looked up from the report she had been reading. "Enter," she called.

To her surprise, Commander Tucker stepped in, holding himself very stiffly. She smiled. "How can I help you, Commander?" she asked.

"Cap'n, I was wonderin' if I could have a few days' leave. One of my colleagues on Enterprise has fallen ill and I'd really like to see her, ma'm," Trip replied in one breath.

Hernandez nodded. "I understand, Commander," she said. "Hernandez to bridge," she said. "How long until we could intercept with Enterprise?"

"Approximately two hours at maximum warp," the Ensign on the other side replied.

Hernandez nodded. "Set a course, Ensign. Maximum warp," she replied.

<<Aye, Captain.>>

"Hernandez out," she said, cutting the comm. She then turned back to Trip. "Take all the time you need, Commander."

Trip smiled. "Thank you, ma'm," he said. He then turned to exit the ready room.

"And Commander?"

Trip turned, pausing in the doorway. "I hope Commander T'Pol will be alright," she said smiling.

Trip didn't ask how she knew; he simply smiled wider. "I hope so, too, ma'm," he replied. With this, he exited the ready room and headed to his quarters to pack.

On Enterprise...

"How is she, Doctor?" Archer asked when Phlox turned to acknowledge their arrival.

Phlox smiled. "She'll be just fine. The fetus is just a bit of a shock to her system is all. She's not used to it yet. It was merely a fainting spell," Phlox said.

"Fetus?" Hoshi queried before anyone else could say a word.

Phlox bounced on the balls of his feet jauntily. "It seems that the Commander is expecting a child," he replied.

Malcolm smiled, knowing just who the father was. "She's pregnant?" Archer asked frowning, the news coming as a slight shock to him.

Phlox bounced jovially. "So it would seem, Captain," he replied.

Hoshi and Travis smiled as well. "And who's the father?" Archer asked.

Phlox hummed pleasantly before replying. "Why, Commander Tucker, of course," he replied stating it as though it was obvious.

Archer stood there for a moment, still slightly in shock. He'd assumed the rumors about Trip and T'Pol being attracted to one another had been true, but for them to have actually...spent the night together...now that was a rumor he'd put to the back of his mind. Both were extremely stubborn and proud people. He hadn't expected either to ever take action one way or the other.

"Can I see her?" Archer asked.

The Doctor nodded, but stopped Malcolm as he attempted to follow. "One at a time, Lieutenant. She's still somewhat disorientated," Phlox replied.

He nodded and stepped back, folding his hands behind his back waiting patiently. Archer smiled at the three. "I won't take long so you can have time to visit with her as well," he replied knowing his words were empty. He wanted to stay by her side until Trip arrived.

Phlox pulled the curtain aside slightly and Archer strode to her bedside, sitting down in the chair next to it. As she opened her eyes, he laid his hand gently on top of hers squeezing it lightly.

"Captain," she said by way of greeting.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded and paused. "No doubt the Doctor has informed you," she replied. He fought laughter as he saw her eyes brighten slightly.

"Yes, he's told all of us," Archer replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "'All of us'?" she queried.

Archer nodded. "Lieutenant Reed and Ensigns Sato and Mayweather came to see you as well," he replied.

T'Pol nodded and the happiness in her eyes was replaced by sadness. "And Trip?" she queried.

Archer chuckled at her use of the his first name. It denoted the intimacy that had grown between the two. "He's on his way. He should be here in approximately two hours," he replied.

Once again, her eyes brightened. Archer smiled and gave her hand another slight squeeze.

On Columbia about two hours later...

Trip had just finished packing when the chime sounded. "Come in," he called. He looked up to see Captain Hernandez enter.

"Ma'm," Trip said in acknowledgement.

"You're officially off duty, Trip. There's no need for the formalities," she replied smiling. "We should be docking soon."

Trip nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed wringing his hands. "Ya can sit down if ya want," Trip offered.

She sat down next to him and gently laid a hand on top of his. He looked up and smiled weakly.

"I understand, you know," she said. "I'd do the same for Jon in a heartbeat."

He chuckled. "Are ya sweet on him again?" he asked teasingly.

She smiled. "I care for him very much," she replied.

He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively causing her cheeks to turn red. She raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same about you and Commander T'Pol," she retorted.

He chuckled. "Yeah. I'm sweet on her alright. 'S matter o' fact, I think I'm in love with her," he replied.

Erika chuckled. "From what I hear, you've finally met someone whose stubbornness and pride matches yours," she replied.

"I ain't stubborn...just strong-willed," he replied.

She laughed. "Whatever you call it..." she said. "...you both have equal of it."

Trip smiled. "Ya know, I can understand why Jon's so sweet on ya. If I didn't have m' own special gal waitin' fer me on Enterprise, I'd be tempted ta make ya an offer," he conceded.

"Ya should talk ta him...before life separates ya again," he suggested. "Believe you me, if ya care about Jon half as much as I care about T'Pol, you'll regret it fer the rest o' yer life if ya don'."

She nodded. "That's very valuable advice, Trip. I believe I'll take it," she replied.

There was a moment of silence before the comm. beeped. "Tucker here," Trip replied after pressing the button.

"We're docked and they're waiting for you, sir," the Ensign replied.

"Thanks, Chris," he said. "I'll be right there." He released the button as the comm. cut out.

Trip turned to Erika and smiled. "Ya can come with ta say 'hello'," he said.

She smiled. "I think I will. In fact, I was thinking of a formal event between the Enterprise and the Columbia," she said.

Trip nodded. "Sound's like a plan ta me," he said.

She smiled and nodded. With this, the two exited his quarters and headed toward the airlock.

On Enterprise in Sickbay

They entered and were greeted by Phlox. "Captain," Phlox said nodding his head at the woman in acknowledgement. He smiled. "I'm grateful for your part in my rescue, hmm. Thank you."

Erika smiled and nodded. "My pleasure, Doctor," she replied.

Phlox smiled and bowed his head before looking up and turning toward Trip. "This way, Commander," Phlox said leading them to a curtained- off biobed.

As Phlox pulled aside the curtain, Trip found himself standing face to face with Malcolm, Hoshi, Travis and Archer standing next to the bed. His eyes then moved to the woman lying on the biobed and he smiled weakly.

Phlox cleared his throat. "Let's say we give the Commanders a few moments alone, shall we?" The others nodded and smiled.

"I'll be back later to check on you, Commander," Archer said smiling at T'Pol. He then turned to Trip. "It's great to have you back...even if it's only for a few days."

Trip nodded. "It's great ta be back, Cap'n," he replied.

"You are thinking of deserting me now, are you?" Erika said teasingly. "You're a damn fine engineer and Columbia needs you."

Trip chuckled. "I ain't makin' any promises jus' yet," he said.

She just shook her head and chuckled. Again, Phlox cleared his throat. "Just a minute, Doc," Trip said.

He turned to Malcolm placing a hand on his shoulder for a moment before hugging him. Malcolm was slightly surprised by the gesture at first, but returned it with equal enthusiasm. The two men released one another, Malcolm looking slightly embarrassed by the touchy gesture.

Trip chuckled. "Same ol' Malcolm. Ya can't give him a phase pistol without him gettin' all shy on ya," Trip said.

Archer, Erika and Travis chuckled, while Hoshi just looked bemusedly between the two. T'Pol watched their interaction with a raised eyebrow.

"Shove it, you bloody Yank," Malcolm mumbled his cheeks reddening a slight degree greater. Trip just laughed and turned to look at T'Pol. Upon seeing her response, Trip's cheeks reddened slightly. Everyone laughed at the look on his face.

"That's quite enough now. Go on. I'm sure the Commanders have important matters to discuss," Phlox said.

The others nodded and left. Trip chuckled to himself as he saw Archer squeeze Erika's hand slightly before pulling back. She looked at him smiling and returned the gesture. A moment later, they exited Sickbay and headed down the corridor.

"I'll be in my office if you need anything," Phlox said. With this, he closed the curtains and left the two alone.

"So," Trip said biting the inside of his cheek. "Are ya alright?"

T'Pol nodded. "I am well," she replied.

He scratched the back of his neck. "So what happened two hours ago? Ya were fine an' then ya fainted," he queried.

T'Pol took a deep breath and released it. "Trip, there is something I must tell you," she said.

Trip's eyes widened. "Ya aren't sick, are ya?" he asked.

T'Pol was about to reply, but something changed her mind. Trip frowned. "What? What is it? 'Cuz ya know whatever it is I'll be there for ya," he said hurriedly.

T'Pol reached out slowly and gently laid her hand on top of his, looking into his eyes. "I am bearing your child, Trip," she replied.

At first, he just stood there in shock barely feeling her hand covering his. "Trip...Trip!" she called trying to get his attention.

"You're what?" Trip shouted, snapping out of his stupor causing T'Pol to jump slightly.

"You are the father of my child," she reiterated.

"But...but Vulcans and Humans can' have kids...can they?" he stuttered.

"It appears that the idea is not as impossible as we originally supposed," she replied.

Trip nodded and smiled widely, kneeling by her bedside, cupping her face in his hands. He arose slightly brushing his lips against hers and burying his face in her shoulder.

"Yer beautiful, ya know that?" he mumbled.

She felt a drop of moisture on her shoulder and as he pulled back to look at her, she saw tears sliding down his face. "Trip, are you well?" she asked.

"Darlin', I'm the best I've ever been," he said brushing his lips against hers.

She wiped his tears away with her thumbs. "Then why are you crying?" she asked.

Trip laughed. "I'm just so damned happy," he said.

T'Pol moved both of their hands to her lower abdomen and looked into his eyes for a moment.

'As am I," she replied.

'Is this the bond?' he asked.

She nodded and he felt overwhelming acceptance flood through him and he knew it was her love.

"I love you, T'Pol," he said.

She smiled. "And I love you, Charles Tucker," she replied.

She moved over on the biobed to make room for him and he laid down next to her pulling her toward him, holding her tightly to his chest. He sighed as they both fell into a light sleep, holding one another.


End file.
